Five couples receive funds from Fertility Support Community’s IVF Fund

The local NGO Fertility Support Community (FSC) has awarded funds from its 'In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) Fund to five couples.

The funds were awarded by First Lady Fazna Ahmed in a ceremony on Monday.

The FSC launches its IVF Fund in November last year, to support couples with fertility issues who are unable to take IVF treatment due to financial constraints.

Recipients are selected after a thorough vetting process each year.

Though the NGO had previously planned to fund one couple each year, if selected four more couples this year after it received generous assistance from India’s Yaami Fertility and IVF Center, and Aster Medcity.

The NGO states that the IVF treatments to the five couples are estimated to cost around USD 15,000.

The five couples who received funding on Monday had been married for an average of 17 years, and had tried but failed to conceive, for around 15 years, and had not had the opportunity to take IVF treatment until now.

The recipients have signed an agreement with the NGO, and will begin taking IVTF treatment within the next one year.

FSC was founded in January 2021 to raise public awareness regarding fertility issues and the available treatment options, and provide psychological support to people with fertility issues.

The NGO began with regular peer-to-peer support group sessions, and went on to expand activities with various sessions with the assistance of both local and international fertility experts. The organization now has over 400 active members across Maldives.